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Further education

You'll find discussions about A Levels and universities on our Further Education forum.

Original poster

Thread 30 Covid Cohort, Mad March Hareing Towards Exams

995 replies

OrangeCinnamonCroissant · 13/03/2022 09:12

This is a thread for supporting all young people post GCSEs 2020, regardless of their educational setting. It is respectfully requested that all are supportive and helpful to each other. If you want to start a debate, e.g state vs private, please don't within this thread. Please also be sensitive when responding to threads about grades.

Some of us have been here since first thread back in yr10, some will be new. Everyone has been friendly and helpful in the past. Everyone is welcome. It is hoped this will continue.

Our DS/DD may go down various paths (such as employment, apprenticeships, higher ed) We have decided for anyone interested they will most likely find us within the Further Ed board.

previous thread 29

I've made this one a little bit earlier as things are so busy, at home and on thread, so please feel free to use up previous thread first Grin

OP posts:
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11
ealingwestmum · 06/04/2022 12:39

That’s a lovely update Piccolo on both your DC

singingstones · 06/04/2022 14:10

Thank you for all your kind words cheering me on - I was hoping they'd just missed a bit in the routine mammogram but they have found something so I had a biopsy today, results next week. It's still very likely to be nothing to worry about though. I wasn't allowed to have anyone there today but DH can come with me next week to see the consultant. Not sure whether that is a good idea or not as he has just been diagnosed with angina and has his own consultant appointment coming up, what a pair we are 🤦‍♀️

Have a lovely holiday Oblomov / Judith 😁

Continued fingers crossed for those still waiting or about to make decisions 🤞

ealingwestmum · 06/04/2022 14:19

Worrying times Singing, but good that you are both under care now. Also the meds are amazing these days at keeping angina under control.

Oblomov22 · 06/04/2022 18:06

Ds got his Nottingham Uni email. He got Rutland.

Oblomov22 · 06/04/2022 18:06

Sorry to hear this singing. Hope the results next week are good.

Shimy · 06/04/2022 18:30

Wishing you all the best with your upcoming appointment @singingstones

Alsoplayspiccolo · 06/04/2022 19:08

Hope you’re not too sore from the biopsy, singing, and that next week brings good news. I’m sure the wait will feel like an eternity. Flowers

Heifer · 06/04/2022 19:52

best wishes for next week @singingstones
@Alsoplayspiccolo thats nice to hear some good news, well done to your DD & DS.

@Oblomov22 - DD got Rutland too today - jammy girl got her 2nd fav and bagged herself and ensuite! I was hoping for the Single + but hey ho. I guess if she has to pack up her stuff 3 times then at least she has an ensuite....

How is the holiday going? weather good? - it's bloody lovely here ;-)

mummyinbeds · 06/04/2022 20:13

@heifer @Oblomov22 another one in Rutland here too - single study (my first choice 🤣)

EwwSprouts · 06/04/2022 20:33

@singingstones Hoping for the best for both of you.

@Alsoplayspiccolo Well done to your DC. Proud mum moments to cherish.

crazycrofter · 06/04/2022 21:31

Dd hasn’t heard from Nottingham yet - she’s really hoping for a single study at Rutland or Sherwood. Did you lot all apply at midnight?! Hers went in at 8am.

Hope you get good news next week @singingstones, I hope you’ve got a busy week to distract yourself?

22Newnames · 06/04/2022 22:24

Sorry to hear about today @singingstones. At least they are acting quickly just in case it is something.

mummyinbeds · 06/04/2022 22:35

@crazycrofter fingers crossed for your DD. DS's application went in just before 1am. His email arrived at 5pm today.
If they do all get the grades for Nottingham, I wonder if we'd ever work out if they had all met 🤔

22Newnames · 06/04/2022 22:39

We had the Nottingham offer holder day today. We were really impressed and it has gone from a maybe insurance choice to the firm shortlist. We also got talking to the course admissions lead who said to email her and she will change DS’s offer to a dual MEng/BEng offer which is great as it was the only one he had not applied for an MEng at.

In contrasting news, on the way out of the car park at Nottingham DS got an email from Bath. He has been rejected from the course he applied for but has been offered a different MEng course. It was one he initially discounted but he will consider carefully as he had his heart set on Bath. It was also a really nice email saying they just didn’t have enough places on the original course for all the good students they would like to offer to. They are holding a special offer holder day specifically for students offered this particular course swap. Really not sure what to think. It’s not the course he want d but I think we should go and see about it. He has to let them know by April 12th if he formally wants them to make that offer. They had 5 months and he gets 5 days!!

Many mixed emotions and confusion…
Confused

Wheresthebeach · 07/04/2022 08:48

22 what a conundrum. Sounds sensible to go and see it. No harm in accepting the offer initially, it gets it in the bag for consideration.

Alsoplayspiccolo · 07/04/2022 09:02

Thanks, heifer and Eww. The next couple of months are going to be an emotional rollercoaster, with lots of “last”s. Sad but lovely at the same time.

Do any of his other choices appeal more than the revised Bath offer, 22newnames?

Decorhate · 07/04/2022 09:02

@22Newnames Is the alternative course at Bath very different? My older Ds is doing Civil Engineering at Bath. If there’s anything I can help with let me know.

Cantonet · 07/04/2022 10:38

Well so far this morning i've spilt a mug of hot coffee over myself, found D's sleeping fully dressed on beanbags because he says he has bed bugs.... with his bed, clothes n everything plus plastic apron & gloves ( used to search for said bed bugs) thrown on the floor. Plus a very nerve wracking conversation with the Gp over ds2 that I've had sleepless nights over.

I think he has flea bites from his clothes that he throws on the floor - floor-drobe style. So now i need to check our spaniel 🤦🏼‍♀️.

ChristopherTracy · 07/04/2022 11:13

@22Newnames it is so cheeky of them isnt it to offer such a short amount of time to make decisions in. It reminds me of the 6th form scramble on A-Level results day

singingstones · 07/04/2022 11:17

Oh blimey @Cantonet I hope your day improves!

22Newnames · 07/04/2022 11:37

Thanks for comments.

The course he has been offered instead of MEng Mechanical Engineering, is MEng Integrated Mechanical and Electrical engineering. Which may not sound wildly different but we had looked at it and previously discounted it as DS is not so keen on the electrical side (also why he did not apply to York). The email emphasises that they can do mechanical options in years 3 and 4 but essentially it is 50% electrical/robotics/systems which doesn't appeal as much. But he had his heart set on Bath, then Durham way above any others at all (obvs Durham rejection so this is his only option of going to one of his very favourites).

The one bonus is that the offer would be a grade lower at AAA (or AABB).

@Decorhate If your DS knows anyone doing the integrated mechanical and electrical or knows anything about it from the ground, that would be really helpful. It is a fairly new course (3/4 years I think).

@ChristopherTracy I guess the short timescale is because if this lot don't want these offers they can then give them to other people waiting. It is a bit annoying though, yep!

Having had a quick look at hotel prices, can't find anything in the centre of town for less than £300 for a night, so we will probably go back for the day, as we haven't seen inside the engineering department at Bath, just the outside and stayed there (and I went to Bath so easy for me to show him around the City). I think going for the day will emphasise to him how it's a whole lot further than his other choices (3.5 hrs on the train compared to 1.5hrs) so that is probably not a bad thing for him to realise either.

Of course all the above said, DS didn't even read to the end of the email to see about the specific in person event just for people offered this swap. I don't know how on earth he is going to cope in the real world when he has to do things for himself Hmm

But in good news, he seems to have found a study partner to work on chemistry with. His mock was a disastrous D, which turns out not to be so disastrous in the end as it was only an organic paper and they later did the physical paper which he got an A in. Him and his study partner are doing past papers together and they got an A in the latest organic one so it seems he should fairly easily be able to pull it round even though it is his most hated subject!

Oblomov22 · 07/04/2022 12:09

Re newnames and having to make quick decisions.
Ds1 says Nottingham accommodation needs to be confirmed by 12th. What happens if you later don't attend? Lose the £250 deposit? Some may not get the grades. My ds still has to decide if he wants to go to uni, or accept the BD0 job-apprenticeship.

Seeline · 07/04/2022 12:16

You normally get a refund at most unis if you don't get the grades.

Not sure how it would work in your case @Oblomov22 if your DS actively chooses not to go. Check the details they send, and if in doubt contact the accommodation people - they are usually very helpful.

mummyinbeds · 07/04/2022 12:26

@Oblomov22 DS accepted his accommodation offer this morning and didn't have to make any payment. First payment is due by 7th September and this is either a full term or £250 if they need to wait for student finance. There were various dates for changing your mind in the Terms and Conditions documents

Decorhate · 07/04/2022 12:28

@22Newnames I’ll double check with Ds but I don’t think he knows anyone doing that one. Looking at the course modules I would say it is seems very heavy on the electrical engineering & not much overlap with the mech eng course so if he’s not interested in the electrical side it’s probably not a good alternative. Does he have any idea what sort of job he’d like to do ultimately?